


Pulling Back the Cover

by EchoInTheSilence



Series: Not Just Another Case [2]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 04:15:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8830117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EchoInTheSilence/pseuds/EchoInTheSilence
Summary: Post- 9x15 "Undercover". Olivia said nothing happened. Olivia said she was fine. Elliot doesn't believe her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine.
> 
> Content warning: This story contains mentions of attempted rape. Please use your own discretion in deciding whether to continue.

Olivia let out a sigh as she closed and locked her apartment door behind her, sliding to the floor with her back against it. _Damn it, Olivia,_ she said to herself. _Stop acting like such a little kid._

It made no sense whatsoever. Harris was in jail. He wasn't going to be coming by here anytime soon. So why was she so afraid?

 _Victims often -_ part of her mind started to tell her before she shut it down. _I'm not a victim. I'm a cop. He didn't rape me. I'm_ not _a_ victim _!_

_Bite me and I'll kill you._

_What every guy wants...you're gonna give it to me._

"No!" She said aloud. "That's over. He's not here!"

_You must like it rough. Yeah, you ought to watch me now._

_I'm gonna take my time with you._

_No!_

"Liv!"

She jerked violently when she heard the voice. Someone was knocking hard on her door.

"Liv, are you there?"

_Elliot? What's he doing here?_

"Liv, I know you're there. Please open the door."

She said nothing. _He can't see me like this._

"Liv, I'm not going anywhere until you open this door. I'll stay out here all night if I have to."

That was the one thing she couldn't ignore. Having him sit out there all night wasn't an option for either of them. She stood slowly, drawing in a deep breath, running a hand through her hair to straighten it up. As long as she didn't look bad, she could get through whatever he wanted painlessly.

She slid back the lock and opened the door. He stepped in, closing it behind them. "What do you want?" she asked sharply.

"What happened in that basement?" he asked, his voice firm and demanding but gentle at the same time.

"Is that what you're here for? Seriously? I told you. Nothing happened. I told you, I'm fine."

"If nothing happened, why won't you talk about it?" he asked. "Why do you get that look on your face every time I bring it up?"

"What look?"

"The same one you get whenever someone makes a reference to a child conceived in rape in front of you. Like there's something deep and painful going on in your head that you don't want to bring up." He stepped a little closer to her. "Liv, don't try to lie to me, I know you too well. _Something_ happened in that basement. I want you to tell me."

"No, you don't. You only think you do."

"I know I do. I want to know what happened, Liv, whatever it was." He met her eyes, hoping she could see the concern and compassion he felt. "Did he rape you?" he asked bluntly, putting his worst fears into words. He'd been afraid of that ever since she came back from Sealview.

She let out a slow, shuddering breath. "No," she said finally. "But he would have."

He stepped closer still and chanced putting his arm around her. She didn't pull away. "Tell me," he pressed. "What happened?"

"You know about the outbreak and how he separated me from the other prisoners, supposedly to put me in solitary," she started, "and that he took me to the basement instead. I asked what he was doing, what he wanted. He said he wanted what every man wants, and I was going to give it to him. There was a mattress down there." She shuddered, and he tightened his grip. "I tried to get away, I hid but he found me. I tried to run but the gate was locked. I was screaming, but it was so far from the rest of the prison - he cuffed me to the gate and opened his pants. He said 'bite me and I'll kill you', and then he had my head in his hands and he was pulling my mouth open. All of a sudden I heard another voice. At first I didn't register it, and I was scared, someone else was in on it. Then I realized it was Fin, telling Harris to let me go. In that moment I thought I was okay. It hit me later. God, I'm shivering," she said as she realized it.

"Come here." Elliot put his other arm around her and drew her close. "You're safe now, Liv. It's okay."

"It's not. Why am I acting like this? I'm a cop, I'm not a victim. He didn't even rape me."

"Like you said, he tried," Elliot responded gently. "You're scared because you know what could have happened, and that's okay. You don't have to be tough all the time; sometimes it's okay to lean on someone."

Another shudder ripped through her body, and then she started to cry. Elliot just pulled her closer and held her tight. "There you go, Liv," he whispered. "Just let it out. It's okay."

She clung to him and cried harder, her whole body shaking uncontrollably. She felt him gently hook an arm under her knees and carry her to her couch, sitting her in his lap and rocking her until her tears dried up.

"'M tired, El," she whispered.

"I know." He picked her up again; to his surprise, she didn't protest. "Let's get you into bed."

"You should go home," she told him. "You have a baby waiting for you."

"Eli will be fine for a night. I'm not leaving you alone, and unless I'm much mistaken, there's no one I can call for you. Which leaves me."

"Are you sure?" Some part of her suggested she protest more forcefully, but she didn't want to be alone any more than he wanted to leave her alone, and he was right, there was no one else.

He laid her gently on the bed, sliding her shoes off and drawing the covers over her. "Just sleep, Liv."

"What - what 'bout you?" she asked, her voice shaky with fatigue.

"I'll sleep on the couch."

She shook her head weakly and reached a hand out to him. "No. Stay."

"Okay." He kicked off his own shoes and joined her in her bed. "You want me to hold you?"

"Please."

He took her in his arms, bringing her head to rest on his chest. "Go to sleep. I'm right here."

It was only a few seconds before she gave into exhaustion, and a few minutes before he joined her.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I'm ending this here, because everyone who knows the show knows what happens next and how Olivia recovers. I just wanted to write a little snippet to give Elliot a chance to be there for Olivia, which I strongly suspect he would be.
> 
> Please review.


End file.
